Means for protecting operatives of zinc and analogous furnaces from heat, fumes, and dust.



PROM HEAT,

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

l Inveuar Patented May 11, 1909.

E. DOR-DELATTRE.

FUMES, AND DUST. APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1908. A

l I r l I l i l l I l I l I ll MEANSFOR PROTBGTING OPBRATIVES 0F ZINC AND ANALOGOUS FUBNAGBS q. Wl

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0i/incisa s E. DOR-DELATTRE. MEANS FOR PROTDGTING OPDRATIVBS 0F ZINC AND ANALoGoUs PURNAGBS FROM HEAT,

PUMDS, AND DUST APPLICATION FILED AUG. 12, 1908. 921 ,375. A Patented May 11, 1909.

2 SHEETS-SHBET 2.

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UNrrnD srnrns PATENT @FERTE EMILE DOR-DELATTRE, OF LIEGE, BELGIUM.

MEANS FOR PROTECTING OPERATIVES OF ZINC AND ANALOGOUS FURNACES FROM HEAT, FUMES, AND DUST.

To all whom it may concern.'

Be it known that I, EMILE Don-DELATTRE, engineer, subject of the King of Belgium, residing at Liege, Belgium, have invented certain new and useful improvements in means for protecting the operatives of rinc and other analogous furnaces from heat, fumes, and dust; and l do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.l

Of all metallurgical furnaces, those which evolve the most heat, fumes and dust, are the reducing furnaces employed in the zinc industry. Under the iniluences of these three agents, heat, fumes, and dust, the health of the operatives rapidly becomes impaired.

The arrangement which is the subject of the present invention has for its object to provide means for protecting the operatives almost completely from the heat, and comv pletely from the fumes and dust, without impeding either the progress or the rapidity of the reducing` operations. On the contrary, the said means, by protecting the operatives, facilitates their work in the operations of extracting the zinc, and cleaning and charging the retorts.

This appliance permits: First. Gi' any one single line of retorts, i. e. that in which the work is taking place, being uncovered or exposed while completely isolating the workman from all the others; a liXed or stationary opening is thus provided for work of considerable duration. Second. Gf the pro' vision of an opening of any desired height or size, which be rapidly sluited or brought in front of the di'llerent lines oi' retorts; such movable opening thus facilitating the per.

formance of rapid work or operations of short duration. in both conditions, the

workman is completely protected or shielded.

from the heat, fumes and dust which are evolved from the rows of coi/ered retorts; he is also `completely protected against the fumes and dust which are evolved from the row of uncovered retorts, and further, the effects of the heat evolved from this row of uncovered retorts lare considerably mitigated.

The accompanying drawings represent an appliance or protective screen of the kind described.

Figure 1 is a part front elevation of a zinc Patented May 11, 1909.

Serial No. 448,223.

furnace provided with the protecting screen. F ig. 2 is a transverse section on A-A through the panels constituting this screen and through the guides of the latter. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the zinc furnace on B-B The appliance consists olI a movable screen, i'ormed by a number oi' panels a (six in the example represented). Each of these panels c (Figs. 2 and 3) is formed ci' a treble thickness oi' sheet-iron fm; between the irst and the second plates m is interposed a hard layer oi' asbestos n while between the second and the third plates m, (the latter being preferably perforated) there is an air space rhis alternation ot layers olVA air and asbjestos with the metallic plates has the effect of rendering the panels a practically im )ervious .to heat. Each end g oi` the panells a vis adapted to work in a vertical guide formed in the arrangement shown, by two channebsectioned members connected by an iron plate. rlhe lower panel c is a iiXture to the guides l) and serves to support the other superimposed panels a, oi' which the ends g can slide in the guides l). Chains d, passing over pulleys c are iiXed at the one end to the guides l), and at the other end to the OrdinarI y trolleyf. This trolley f, guided in any suitable manner, is connected at its end, to a hydraulic ram g through the medium oi' two chains 7l.. It follows that when the hydraulic ram g is put into operation, the ltrolley f is caused to move in oneV direction or the other, and etiects the raising or lowering oi' the protecting screen composed ol' the pane s a and c. l

The chains d and h are connected to the trolley f by means oi' screwed rods o which permit oi' adjustment or"l the tension of the said chains respectively.

The employment ol' the trolley f and the arrangement oi'l the adjusting rods o admit oi the operation ci' the several panels or elements ci' the screen by a single hydraulic machine since the provision ot the means for adjusting the chains admits or' the' adjacent panels being brought into the same horizontal line.

Above the movable screen is a iiXed screen l, behind which the whole of the movable screen can be raised and thus coml pletely hidden from view (see leit hand side oi' Fig. 3). Yilhile when the movable screen is lowered the space at the bach oi' the Xed Y system.

or standingl screen consitutes, as it were, a l Opening capable of being moved in front ol shaft of considerable sectional area which .is

connected up with a suitable exhausting The openings in the protectingI screen, that is to say, the spaces which formed by the vertical separation of the horizontal panels, in order to admit of access being obtained to any desired row of retorts, are obtained by the use of steel pins, which are inN troduced, according to circumstances, into certain of the seri-es of holes r in the guides s t and in the ends of the extremities g of the panels a; or in the holes s made in the ,panels ..15 a and inthe framing 7c of the furnace.

The methods of working; the appliance as follower-To uncover' the upper row of retorts, the movable screen is allowed to fall to the ground (see nig. l and 53, right ..20 hand side).

between the upper edge of the top panel a of the movable screen, when lowered to this position, and the lower edge of the fixed screen Z has been arranged so that the said distance shall be cqu al to, or slightly greater than, the height of a row of retorts t, itis evident that this upper row of retorts will be completely uncovered and rendered accessible, while all the otl retorts in the furnace will bev covered by the panels of the movable screen.

To uncover any intermediate row ofV retorts below the top one, the movable screen is first, by' the aid of the hydraulic machine g, lowered to the ground and then raiseda distance equal to the height of one row of retorts. rf'he panel a which comes above `the opening` to be made, is then fixed to the framing 7c of the 'furnace by inserting; the

40 stop pins through the holes s, in the fixed guide or lilie members of the structure and then Vthe screen is again lowered. The i panel a which is fixed to the framing 7c ofthe furnace by the pins, cannot fall, and consequently serves to support the panels above it, so that they also are prevented from falling'. The vertical guides l) therefore only take with them, in theirdescent, those panels which rest on the bottom panel c, and which .50 fall away from the temporarily fixed or above referred to, itis. .desired to obtainian pegged-up panels.

WV hen the lower panel c comes to restI on the ground, the open space or clearance that is thereby presented between the panel which is fixed to the framing .7c and the, panel which is immediately beneath it,is equal to the h eight the appliance hadbeen previously raised, and registers with the row of retorts to which it is desired to obtain access.

To uncover the bottom row of retorts, it is only necessary to raise the entire movable screen tothe desired height. .l

l.- If, in place of the stationary or fixed openings obtained by the. methodsof working .or falling as the case may be, while the space Then, assuming` the distancel i screen l.

ycomposed of a number of separate superim- .analogous furnaces-consisting ofva screen the furnace, the following is the methoc adopted. By the operation in the second case, a stationary or fixed opening-is iirs formed of the height, and in the position de sired. This opening` having been obtained, the supporting pins are passed under th fixed panels and through the holes r in the vertical guides and the pins fixed to th framing le are removed. lf then the hy draulic ram g is putin operation, the entire screen will respond to its movementlby risin .between the two separated sets of panels remains always the same, and the'screen with this opening., in it can be moved vertically in front of the furnace and arrestedin any position by the 'working ofthe hydraulic machine.

iiilhen the movable screen is not'required in front of the furnace, it is completely raised and entirely disappears behind the fixed It is evident fromthe foregoing that this appliance, which permits of workingin any row of retorts, places` the workmen completely under shelter from. the heat, fumes and the dust issuing,l from the` furnace.

lt is also evident that the workman, who uses for his worl, tools which are heavy and difficult to manage, can support such tools on the top edge of the panel that comes immediately below the opening` in the tmovable screen and belowthe line of thel uncovered retorts. This work is thus considerably facilitated by this support, and other or additionallsupports of any form are `rendered unnecessary.

Having; fully described my invention, what l desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent is: f

l. The combination with a zinc or analogous furnace, of a screen extending. across one end of the furnace retorts and comprising` a plurality of panels, arranged oneabove the other, and adjustable means 4for sup porting one or more of said panels out ofeontact with-the other panelsl to provide an opening in the screen at any desired point in the height thereof, and means for raising and lowering the screen without varying the relation of the separated. panels.

2. A protecting,` device -for .zinc'and other analogous furnaces .consisting ofa fscreen posed parts adapted to be separated from one another to expose one or more rows of retorts, two vertical guides for the other parts of. the'screen connected with the lower member of the screen, said guides being cennected to a contrivance whichfadmits of raising or lowering` thescreen in front of the furnace or retorts.

3. A protecting device for Zinc. and other" composed of a number of separate superimposed parts adapted to be separated from one another, and whose ends are adapted to be xed to the framing of the furnace so as to form an opening in the screen of the required size, in front of one of the rows of retorts.

4. The combination with a zinc or analogous furnace, of a screen extending across one end of the furnace retorts and comprising a frame, a plurality of panels adjustably supported in said frame, one above the other and normally contacting` one with another throughout the height of the screen, means for maintaining one or more of said panels in adjusted position to provide an opening between any two thereof, and means for moving the frame and all of the panels ver* tically without varying the relation of the separated panels.

5. A screen for zinc and analogous furnaces composed of a number of separate superimposed parts adapted to be separated from one another, a pair of vertical guides to which the lower separate part of the screen is fixed, a contrivance connected to said guides for raising and lowering the screen in front of the furnace, and means for fixing the ends of the separate parts of said screen to the framing of the furnace so as to form an opening of the required size in front of one of the rows of retorts.

6. A screen for zinc and analogous furnaces composed of a number of separate superimposed parts adapted to be separated from one another', a pair of vertical guides to which the lower separate part of the screen is fixed, a contrivance connected to said guides for raising and lowering the screen in front of the furnace, and means for fixing the separate parte of said screen to the guides so as to form an opening, which together with the screen, can be moved in front of the furnace or the retorts thereof.

7. A protective device for Zinc and analogous furnaces consisting of a screen composed of a number of separate superimposed parts adapted to be separated from one another, a pair of'vertical guides to which the lower separate part of the screen is fixed, and a single slide or trolley connected by chains or the like to the guides of one or more screens, and also connected to the lifting` or lowering means of the screens.

A protective device for zinc and analol gous furnaces consisting of a screen composed of a number of separate superimposed parts adapted to be separated from one another, a pair of vertical guides to which the lower separate part of the screen is fixed, and a single slide or trolley connected by chains or the like to the guides of one or more screens and also connected to the lifting or lowering means of the screens, said chains or the like being connected to the slide or trolley by ad justable screwed rods, so as to enable the separate parts of adjacent screens to be maintained in the same horizontal plane.

9. A protective device for zinc and analogous furnaces, consisting of a screen composed of a series of superimposed and separable parts adapted to be raised and lowered in front of the furnace, and above which a fixed screen is arranged, adapted to cover-up the movable screen when the latter is raised.

l0. A protective device for Zinc and analogous furnaces, consisting of a screen composed of a series of superimposed and separable parts adapted to be raised and lowered in front of the furnace, and above which a fixed screen is arranged, adapted to cover-up the movable screen when the latter is raised, and the space formed by said fixed and movable screens being connectedeup with an exhausting system.

l1. A screen for zinc and analogous furnaces consisting of a series of superimposed and separable parts composed of three walls lying one behind the other, and between the middle and one of the outer walls of which a layer of asbestos is interposed, while the middle wall is separated from the other outer wall by an air space.

l2. A screen for zinc and analogous furnaces consisting of a series of superimposed and separable parts composed of three walls lying` one behind the other, the outer one of which is perforated, and between the middle and one of the outer walls of which a layer of asbestos is interposed, while said middle wall and the other outer wall are separated by au air space.

13. y"rho hereindescribed protective screen for furnaces consisting?,` of three superimposed metal plates, and a body of asbestos arranged between the rear and middle plates, the latter and the front plate being separated by an air space.

fn testimony whereof l affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

EMILE OR-DELATTRE.

Vitnesses:

A. MARCHAL, En. SnPULoHnn. 

